Automatic signaling, door-closing, and operating system for elevators.



B. HEINRICH. I AUTOMATIC SIGNALING, DOOR CLOSING, AND OPERATING SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS.

- APPLIOATIONI FILED AUG.5,I9I3- 1,176,057.

WITNESSES B E ZT A A 2 1L910 einrin ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 21,1916.

B. HEINRICH. AUTOMATIC SIGNALING, DOOR CLOSING, AND OPERATINGSYS'TEM FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5, I913- 9 I I I I I r I 4 I 6 q IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I. mm m r as Mm n H Mu H I 6 t A m T 5 INVENTOR Bruno Heirwu rfi ATTORNEY B. HEINRICH.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALING, DOOR CLOSING, AND OPERATING SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS. APPLICATION FILED AUG-5,1913.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3" INVENTOR Bruno Heinrich 13; hr. 14/ ,La,

WITNESSES ATTORNEY .use it :enuno summon, or SAN rnnncrsco. camronma.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAHNG, nooa-cnosmc, siin orsna rme sirsrnn ron nnnva'rons.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.21, 1916.

Application filed Xugustli, 1913. Serial No. 753,050.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRUNO HEINRICH, citizen of the United States, residin at San Francisco, in the county of San rancisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Signaling,. Door-Closing, and Operating Systems for Elevators, of which the follow ing is a specification.

The resent inventionrelates toanautomatic-slgnaling door-closing and operating device for automatic elevators, cars, andthe like.

The object of the invention is to provide .in conjunction with an electric automatic pushhutton-controlled elevator. system, an automatic door-closing system, for the purpose of closing the door and so restoring service which otherwise Ewouldhave been interrupted if a hatch door'had been left open through neglect or' intent, as auto-- matic elevators should be inoperative when a hatch door is open.

A further ob ect is to provide in conjunction with such a system a bell signal when-a door is openand an intending passenger presses any one of the operating buttons on any floor or station, to ring the car to him. l g i i A further object of the invention is to announce by a signal when the elevator is engaged, and another person intending to presses one of the operating buttons.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signaling system, a door-closing device,'and a controlling system, each of which is operative from the same pushbutton.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 e is a diagrammatic view, ofmy improved apparatus; Fi 2 is a vertical section of the}? do vidual wire 35, individual holding coil ,36,

door latching vice therein; Fig; 3 is a side view of the door-closing device therein.

. Referring to the drawing-1 indicates an electric series-wound motor, which actuates operating mechanism for an "elevator car,

.ling levers or switches 7, o

to be presently describe which contact such mechanism being nothere shown.

. 2 are the field magnets of the "motor, to which a wire 3 leads from the positive side of the main line, and from which a wire' leads to two branch wires 4, terminating in contacts 5 adapted to selectively contact with contact plates 6, on direction-controlrated by means plates '6;can also contact; with contacts 8,

connected to wires leading respectively to the brushes-$10 of the motor, with which wires 9 are also connected wires 11,'term1- natlng 111 contacts 12, which selectively,

when either "of the direction-controlling' levers is operated in the manner to be presently described, contact with corresponding contact platesl3 on said contact levers, which areconnected by flexible wires of the main line.

Supposing that a personat any, say, the

14 to a wire 16 leadingto the negative side lowermost, of the" floors of an elevator shaft "WlShGS to bring to him the elevator car,

which is diagrammatically shown in the drawing to be located on the second floor, he

closes a pushbutton P at said floor, and

thereby closes a' controlling circuit as follows :-from the positive side of a generator 17, by a wire 18 to a contact 19 of an uppermost pair of latch contacts, then by a door latch 20 to the other contact 21 of the pair,

then by a wire 22 to the contact 19, door latch 20, and other contact 21, of the next lower floor, and thus like manner to the contact 21 of the lowermost floor, then by a wire 23, which is connected with a series of push buttons P P P, by the push button P, by an individual wire 24 of a series'to the coil of wool-responding electro-magnet 25,. by a common wire 26 to a spring contact 27 contact 28, wires 29, and 30, to the negative side of the generator 17-. By this means the electro-magnet 25 is energized co'rresponding to the push button which was pressed, thereby attractiiig the correspond- .ing' one of a' series of armatures 31,*and.

closing one of a series of operating circuits as follows :-from the positive si e of the corresponding to the floor of which the push button was pressed, the purpose of whichv 5 main line by a wire 32 through a solenoid 'coil 33, then by a common wire 34, indian indivi ual wire 37, and contacts 138,

which were clos'edby the armature 31 of the electro-magn by an individual wire 39 through'a brush F of a series of brushes F, F, F, corre} sponding to the different floors of the shaft, which brushes contact with a selector 40, operated in a manner hereinafter described, the brush F being at this'time in contact 'with one of two conducting segments 41,

et 25, heretofore described, then which segment is also in contactwith a. brush D,

(the other segment 41 being at this time in contact with a brush U, 'a"circuitthrough which causes the car to ascend) then by a wire 42 leading to one of two' coils 43, ofsolenoids, .the cores 44 of which.

The gearing between the-motor and the car is such that, if'the circuit is closed through one of these contact levers, the car will begin to descend, and ifthrough the other then the car will begin to ascend, and

it will; be seen that, "when the push. button correspondin' 'toth'e fir'st fioor, is operated a circuit is c osed 'suchthat the switch leveronxthe right ,is 'lattractedv and'the' car descends. Said selector is operatively connected with the car,- as indicated diagrammati'cally, by a cable 46 around pulleys 47, 48, and carryingga weight 49, so that the directionswitchis rotated in a clock-wisedirecti'on when] the car descends, and con- I versely.,-;.As the cardescends, the conducting" segment 41Y moves so that the motor controlling circuit-isno longer closed between the brush F and the brush Dand the motor stops. 'fThe intending passenger, however,

cannot open the elevator door until. the car hasarrived 'at' said door, for, as seen in Fig. 2, the door latch20 is normally held in its J operativeposition bya locking lever 51 havsaid admlatch.

m a projection 52 engaging the free end of When, however, the car arrives at the door, a 'cam 53, carried upon a 'side of the car, actuates a roller 54, and

, 'sw'ings said lever 51 to such a position that positive side of 'said'projection ,52no longer engages the doorilatch, and-the d r i f t be opened Before thecar stops in this position, with the cam .53 engaging the roller 54, a bell circuit isclosed at "said floor as follows fromIthe-wire 18, (Fig.1) leading from the the generator 17, by a wire 55, spring contact 56, latching lever 51, wire 57, bell coil 58,- wires 59, 61, to a spring switch 62, conducting bar .63, spring switch .end of a coreBSofj the 64 and 'wire to thenegative side of the generator .17, thusringing the local bell 60.

aid circuit. was ggen; while the car was running, but-is clo by contact of theparts 56 and 51,. when the cam 53 engages-theroller 54. Said circuit, however, is broken again after aw'shortl time, because a nonconductin'g jdisk Q67connected to. the upper solenoid coil. 33, falls th'e disk has distance'it withdraws the switch 62 from the between the aforesaid "plate 13 and the 00mg: 12, and 'between the plate Gandcontacts 5 nd 8. I to the fioor push-button P buttons.

by gravity, broken and the car stops,- the lower endof the core68 moving in a dash pot 71. When descended through a suflicient bar 63, so that the circuit is broken, and the bell 60 stops ringing. The intending pashas arrived on the floor upon which he is Walters.

.It is desirable thata person pressing a push-button to summon a car should be ap prised thatthe car is in use, if suehis the case, and that the failure of the car to come properstation is not due to some defectin the system. For thispurpose there is provided ahigh resistance bell coil 73, which is interposed in a short'circuit .74, shunted around the contact between the spring 27 and contact point 28 hereinbefore rings a bell in the circut and located in some convenient point of the elevator shaft, and apprises the person summoning the elevator that the car is in. use, the contact between the spring 27 and point 28 being then open, because, when the car is ascending or descending, the

as the controlling circuit is i s'enger is thus apprised when the elevator.

described, when said contact is open, so that pressure'on said push button disk 67 is in an upper position, and releases the spring 27, and thereby permits it to be out of contact with the contact point 28. If the intending passenger has called the car to his floor lower floor) he opens the door wishing to ascend, say,

landing (in this case the of a series 79, 77 p of push buttons in the car; He thereby closes one of aseries of circuits parallel respectively with the several floor push-botton circuits, this parallelism being efi'ected by an individual wire 76' leading to'one side of the corresponding and a common wire 77, leading to the wire 23, which, as before explained, connects with all of said floor push Itwill be observed, however, that the car will not be started unless'the sengerfirst closes the door of the shaft, for unless all of said doors are closed, the controlling circuit will be broken, being converted into a signal circuit at the door latch contacts, in the manner hereinafter explained. and therefore there will be no current suflicient-to operatelthe controlling circuit in the manner already described.

' As the current passes from the positive side 0 the main line by the wire 32, through solenoid 33-and from there to the'controlling switches,

by hand, and, to thethird floor, closes thedoor and presses a push button p as previously described, it

magnetizes the ron core, 68 anddraws it in. w

an upward direction,

attached to the upper end 'of'this core, it re and as the disk.67 is dash pct 71, closing the contact between spring 64 and conducting bar 63, thereby shunt coil springs 62 and 27, breaking the contact between 27 and 28, and cutting the high resistance bell coil of the bell 7 3 into the operating circuit, which becomes now inoperative for motor control, but serves for signaling as long as the motor is running. The switch spring 62 is also brought into contact with the connecting bar 63 and contact is broken between the connecting bar 63 and the spring 64, the tension of which is in a downward direction. As the bell circuit of the bells 60 is thereby broken, the bells 60 are prevented from ringing, as the cam 53 (Fig. 2) actuates the respective rollers 54 as the car passes the successive floors. When, however, the car reaches its destination, and the controlling circuit is broken at one of the brushes F F F energized, allowing slowly to recede against the the magnet core 68 action of the the establishing the circuit as before described, and the car stops for the same reason that it stopped when arriving at the first floor, as already explained.

If, when the passenger leaves the car, he leaves the door open, the circuit between the contacts 19 and 21 is broken, but, when any of the operating buttons on any of the floors are pressed by another intending passenger, a current passes through a high resistance ringing a bell 81 (Fig. 3) and thus converting the operating circuit into a signal circuit. At the same time the current energizes magnets 82, attracting an armature 83, and closing a local circuit 84 having a generator 85, in which circuitis a magnet 86 which attracts a hook-shaped pivoted armature 87, which engages a hook shaped arm 88,extendingfrom a weighted lever 89, which lever is attached to a sleeve 92, which can slide upon a. fixed horizontal bar 93 which sleeve 92 abuts against a post 94: on the elevator door 96. When the elevator door is opened, and lever 89 is pushed upward until the hook-shaped arm 88 enages the hook-shaped armature 87 in which position it remains notwithstanding the opening and closing of the elevator door, so that the ordinary use of the elevator is not interfered with. left open then it may the electro-magnets 82 by which, when energized, the weighted lever is allowed to drop, and the sleeve 92, post 94, and door 96 to move horizontally,

be again closed by to close the door.

It is to be understoodthateither the bell,

or the door-closing device, or both, may be omitted, if it is thought preferable to use an inferior form of my invention.

I It is to be also 'uuderstoodthat I do not confine my invention for the use in connection with elevators only, as

the solenoid 33 is dea circuit closer in said auxiliary circuit,

tro-magnet c means for effecting said selec- But should this door be heretofore described,

the controlling circuit other branches therein,

' .electro-magnetic the above-de- ,meansin the respective branches for closing the respective switches, also having therein parallel branches corresponding in number to the several doors, eachhaving a switch therein, and also having therein a movable selector operatively connectedwith the car to be moved therewith, and arranged to connect either of the first-named branches in the controlling circuit with any one of the other branches therein, and means for selectively closing any one of said lastnamed switches, comprising an auxiliary circuit having therein for each door a pair of contacts, a door latch arranged, when in its operative position,

elec:

tive closure, a locking leverfo-r locking said latch in its operative position, a device carrled by the car arranged to engage said locking lever to withdraw the same, and a bell circuit arranged to be rendered ope ative by said engagement.

' 2. In an apparatus of the character described, the ombinationwitha car, a motor. therefor, doors to which the car can move, an electric motor-energizing circuit having therein two parallel branches, arranged to conduct the current in opposite directions through the motor, a switch in each branch,

a controlling circuit forseletively operating said switches and having therein two .parallel branches and electro-magnetic means in the respective branches for closing the respective switches, also having therein.

parallel branches corresponding in number to the several doors, each having a switch therein, and also having therein a movable selector operatively connected with the car to bemoved -therewith,'and arranged to connect either of the first-named branches in withany -one of the tively closing any one of said last-named switches, comprising an auxiliary circuit having therein for each door a pair of "contacts, a door latch arranged, when in its operativeposition only, to close said contacts,

to close said contacts,

and meansfor seleca circu t closer in ,said auxiliary circuit,

selective closure, a locking lever for locking means for effecting said- 1S0 switches. and having therein two branches 1 device carried its operative position, and a by-the car arranged to engage said latch in {said lockin'glever to withdraw the same, of

a bell circuit arranged to be rendered opera tive by said engagement, and means, mo

erative when the car is in motion, for brea ing said'bell circuit. i

.3. In an apparatus of the character de-' scribed','fthe"combination with a car, a motor therefor, doors to which the car'can mjove, an electric motor-energizing circuit having f therein two branches, arranged to conduct 'thecurrent in opposlte directions through the motor, a switch in each branch,- a; controlling circuit, for selectively operating said switches and having therein twobranches "and electro-magnetic means in the respective, branches for closing the respective switches, also having therein branches corresponding in number to the several doors, each having a switch therein and also having therein a movable selector operatively connected with the car to be moved therewith, and arranged to connect either of the first-namedrbranches in the controlling circuit with any one of the other branches therein, and means for selectively closing any one of said lastnamed, switches comprising an auxiliary circult having thereln for, each door a pair of contacts arranged to be closed only when" said door is closed, a circuit-closer in said auxiliary I circuit, and electro-magnetic means for efl'ecting said selective closure, of means for breaking said auxiliary circuit when the car is in motion, and a high resistance signal operating coil shunted around said break.

4. In an apparatusof the character .described, the combination of a car, a motor therefor, doors to which the car can move, an

a electric motor=energizing circuit having therein two branches, arranged, to conduct the current in opposite direction through the motor, a switch in each branch, a con. 'trollingcircuit for selectively operating said and-electro-magneticmeans in the respective. branches for closing the respective switches, also having therein branches 'corresponding in number g each having a switch therein and 'a'lsoha-W .ing therein a' movable "selector operatively connected with the car to-be moved. there my-hand inthe witnesses.

to theseveral doors,

with, and arranged-toconnect either of the first-named branches in zth controlling circuit with any oneof th other branches therein, and ,means for selectively closing any one of :said last-named switches comprising an auxiliary circuit having therein I for each door a pair of contacts arranged to scribed, the'combination of a car, a motor therefor, doors to which the car can move,

an electric motor-energizing. circuit having therein twobranches, arranged to conduct the current, in opposite directions through the motor,v a switch in each branch, a conswitches and having therein two branches.

and e'lectro-magnetic means in the respec-' tive branches for closing the respective switches, also having therein branches corresponding in number to the several doors,each having a switch therein and also having therein a movable selector operatively connected with the car to be moved therewith, and arranged to connect either of the first-named branches in the'controlling circuit with any one of the other branches therein, andmeans for selectively closingany one of said last-named switches comprising an auxiliary circuit having therein for each door a pair of contacts arranged to be closed only when said door is closedya circuit, closer in said auxiliary cir cuit, and electrdmagnetic means for efi'ect ing said selective closure, of a high resistance signal. coil shuntedaround said contacts.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set BRUNUHEINRIQ .Witnesses: I i

WRIGHT,

trolling circuit for selectively operating said presence of two subscribing 10) 

